Resignation

When we resign from a position, it takes a lot of effort to write a good resignation letter - I mean a presentable one.

Depending on your relationship and the culture of the organization, the style of the letter can be varied.

How I wish I were President of United States.

物是人非

说了再见后，昨天又看见了这个包。还是一样，里面的电脑也一样。

可是，人不一样了。

物是人非事事休，说的就是这种。

花旗国

《审死官》垒面一开洗内段：

粤语：
宾少：我阿财系花旗国买返来的狗王！
宋状师：我阿福都系从法兰西买返来的人渣！

当言，大家都鸡道，法兰西就细法国，英门France。

那末，花期国又细写莫地荒呢？

就细美国了，因妹国旗发力发洛，很花地国旗，就叫花旗国了。

不兰，你以为Citibank细写莫国家地银行啊？

Just for fun

Am using some old (still in AIG-sponsor era) and recycled stuff building up to the big match ahead.

Sure Manchester United will beat Chelsea in Stamford Bridge. Wakakaka~~

Thrilling Vietnam Trip

I assume the trip to Hong Kong will be my last. Then I realized I was wrong because am about heading to Hanoi on Sunday.

The trip has very tight schedule starting from Sunday, with several back-to-back presentations, until the last one ended 2 hours before our departure flight.

Normally I will save an extra copy powerpoint in a thumb drive just in case, but the need to use it never arise in the past 2.5 years. I am lazy and a little complacent this round, I thought this will be my last show and think the only copy in my laptop should be fine.

Murphy's Law never wrong.

I dropped the laptop bag in the airport toilet and heard a great bang. I cannot see anything from the screen again.

I tried so many times to reboot and it just didn't work. Out of desperation I hijacked the LCD from hotel business center, and I suddenly saw my desktop icons again. I transferred them to the thumb drive in no time.

There were 6 presentation sessions in all, and I'd talked to more than 80 people. Having 80 specialist doctors listen to you is a special experience.

I think the credit should go to the thumb drive.

Oh yea, the LCD monitor too.

一个半马拉松的故事

1999年，我十八岁。

我的叔叔那时迷上跑步，特地从槟城到怡保来参加马拉松。不知道是想叫人陪，还是意思意思顺便叫我一起去。我一口答应，前一天还特地买了一双超级轻盈NB跑步鞋。

当年我年轻力壮，跑一百米有十二秒，半马拉松，大概就是十二秒乘于210等于42分钟，应该很容易。加上前一天（才）买的跑步鞋，真是活该十八岁的。

前一个晚上，我还ICQ到两点，睡不到四个小时，五点半就爬起床准备。我不是很饿，没有吃东西。叔叔觉得停车会很难，于是我驾摩多载他去。我们六点半到场时已经人山人海，叔叔坚持要我吃了两条香蕉，我很应酬地依了。

赛事一开始，凉风徐徐，鸟语花香。我凌波微步，还不知道前途茫茫。和叔叔肩并肩跑了几公里，突然他转头跟我说等下见，咻一下不见人。啊，不见就不见，变成我独自一人跑，跑，跑........

跑到回家的路上，经过外面那条大路，我在想：哈，如果回家喝口水多好，的确是有一点累的说。想到这，诶，差不多快到终点了吧？于是，我往地下一看，看见喷漆标记10km。我心想：十公里，就是还有多远呢？

就在这个时候，我打了一个突，哦买嘎，还不到一半。我的前途在这里突然变得乌云密布。

我决定用走的来休息一下。那个休息的念头，突然野草一样蔓延生长，盘缠着头脑所有的空间，吞噬着我所有残余的力量。我半走半跑，开始觉得手臂很痛，腋下脱皮很痛，大腿很痛，膝盖很痛，屁股很痛，什么都痛。

而且肚子很饿，我想起那两条香蕉。更饿。

不知道半走半跑多久，我突然瞄到地上的标记，14km...？是的......我的心事，你不会懂。

一边拖着跑，一边发现自己一直被超车。再回想刚才，我根本连一个人都没有超过。我回头一望，看见后面的人跟我差不多（快完蛋了）。突然，我登时看懂了刚才叔叔说等下见的表情。我心里喊着岂有此理，一边后悔。路旁依然凉风习习，凉到一个站岗的都没有。地上一片狼藉，都是前面的人用过的海棉。我经过时，水缸里只剩下水，没有棉，我很可怜。

这时，我只能拖着脚步，连走路都难，一拐一拐的。我不知道拐到什么地方去了，不知道拐了多远，也不知道还要拐多久。感觉很孤单，有被抛弃的感觉，经过什么地方都没有电视上那样，很多路人帮你打气。一个人现在跑到对面商店买饮料然后叫的士回家，也不会有人发觉的。

我一直拐，一直拐。

不知道多久了，忽然听见体育场传来的人潮声。我心里想，快到了！于是我加快拐步，想一尝拐线的滋味。这时一辆巴士经过，在我旁边停下怂恿我拐上车，说直接载我到终点。我看见车上有很多弃权的参赛者。当时，我只要一点头，就可以跟他们一起马上到终点光荣拐下车。

我十八岁不识好歹，想在十年后写一篇blog的时候理直气壮，于是没有上车。我要报答两条香蕉的恩情，假假也要用自己的拐量拐完全程。

最后，我历经千辛万苦拐到终点。一个人都没发觉。

我驾摩多回家途中，觉得我叔叔重得象一头牛。而且无论我转弯，刹车或变速，都会让我手指或小腿要抽筋。还是很饿，不过没有力气拿筷子吃东西。

我以后再也不敢十八岁了。

Progress update 3

Jom, everyone kahwin sama-sama alamak dan cacing.

想一想

有时候我们只是懒惰，包括思想上。

生活压力那么大，连银行户口都不知道能不能应付明年农历新年，干嘛还要去想为什么或怎样？

从2004年工作开始，逻辑分析是我的工作（当然其他工作也需要）。几年下来，磨练得像呼吸一样自然。职业习惯泛滥，日常生活听见看见不make sense的东西，心里会有根刺，想要提出纠正。

偏偏什么事情都一样 - 你哪方面越强，越容易看见哪方面弱。别人的。

这件事情让人很困扰。

尤其一个怪论调出现时，你慢慢解释清楚为什么不make sense之后，会被人讲你什么都要分那么清楚。

很不幸的，你被扯进那个怪论调里面（你完了），你发现把你扯进去很不make sense（yan-wong~都唔关我事！），你慢慢解释清楚为什么把你扯在一起很不make sense之后，不但会被人讲你什么都要分那么清楚，还要被人觉得你持辩行凶。

有时候我们只是懒惰，包括思想上。

生活压力那么大，连银行户口都不知道能不能应付明年农历新年，干嘛还要去想为什么或怎样？

这件事情，真的让人很困扰。

朝圣轩尼诗道

终于又去香港，这次却有半天周六的时间，足够让我完成一件事。

我到轩尼诗道朝圣这件事，想很久了。

当然，这跟张学友完全没有关系，只不过一定没有人相信罢了。

这条街就是轩尼诗道。



所谓朝圣，就是用很虔诚的心，感受轩尼诗道的平凡和忙碌，假假是个轩尼诗人，在一个冬季的下午走在路上，转个弯，遇到汤唯。那样。

真是变态。

我一个人去，只好自己玩耍，玩《寻找轩尼诗》，一个要找七个轩尼诗的电视游戏。象这种，我找了七个。



很累。

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of my most visited countries in the past 2 years.

Looking back, it felt like a time capsule because things changed and I witness all of them first hand.

One very special reason is KS. I just don't feel Hong Kong was the same, and as close as it was anymore. It seems like I primarily associate places and countries with people whom I know.

My cousin was a form-6-to-be the first time I went. Her progress moved along with my visit and by now, she is an undergradute in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is even going to finish her first semester.

And for once, I realized myself have never look at Hong Kong properly, from a tourist point of view. In fact, I might feel like an expatriate living in Hong Kong every time I go there. My mood never turned "tourist" altogether. I did "see", "feel" and "enjoy" Hong Kong from the eyes of a foreigner "living" there.

What's more, this is likely to be my last trip in Hong Kong before I finish serving my notice.

Maybe when I go to Hong Kong again next time, it will be a holiday. Then the water may taste nicer with fragrance as its name suggested - 香江。

Avatar

The avatars are Alamak and Cacing.

I shiok sendiri only.

Progress update 2

To "Fluorence",

if you could sent me your ....ahem, measurement / circumference (in inches), of all respective parts, I will make this a better representative.

Strengthsfinder 2.0

Many people truly believe in nasihat like "you can achieve anything if you try hard (enough)" as we grown up. Movies of underdog outperform favorite always the bestseller.

Instinctively, I just can't figure out why am I feel odd for this. I put in some thought before and also posted on my facebook status. I also wrote something like
THIS, tHiS and thIS in my old entries. Over time, my thought was swinging back and forth.



Last month I read a book called Strengthsfinder 2.0...I instantly knew that was an answer I am looking for when I read it. There is no old maxim of trying hard enough and you can be anything. Instead, it says:

You cannot be anything you want to be -- but you can be a lot more of who you already are.

It contains extra respect and recognize no one will achieve the same magnitude with the same method using the same way of measurement. If one is to say this is a successful life as a whole, it must be the way you approach your life with utter respect and dignity, live fully to the potential of life with resources and chances available, which is different to everyone.

I know there is a lot of motivation camp for sales, marketing or financial planner. But one thing I really don't like is (at least that's an impression / bias I have), they always employ one method and apply to all different individual. Trying hard and keep trying with more determination is a recipe for success. I agree they are valuable strength, however, not supposed to be misplaced.

If you are a bird, then flip your wing hard and fly high; If you are a horse, then gallop and run fast; If you are a fish, then swim fast and swim deep.

If flying is not your natural talent or strength, ie, not a bird, you don't have to feel inferior just because you can't fly. Even with the athleticism of Michael Jordan, he can't replicate his achievement in baseball, why?

The most important thing is to know who you (already) are, what you can do well and what you can't.

Then develop according to your own strengths, and be determined.

Facebook mania

There is a lot about Facebook these days. Including 2 recent movies on Facebook.

Yesterday, I saw a 400-500 pages hardcover book on Facebook at Kinokuniya, placed besides books like The Toyota Way and Googled: The End of the World As We Know It

I drown on three Facebook games before, one of it was the recent EA SPORTS FIFA Superstars....and painfully quit all of them. I am glad I didn't jump on the bandwagon when I came across Mafia War. This is one Facebook game that raised its rank and make it to the TIME magazine.

Most of these games were dumb but for some strange reason you just get addicted to it. Besides punctually log in to maintain your strength / lives / refill / training / workout etc so that you will be upgraded, there is nothing much to do. Occasionally you got one bonus like a super duper privileged item that none of your friend has, and make you proud for 2 days.

Then you found they got it for free on the 3rd day.

How far a Facebook game can bring us to? I am not too sure, but this is really funny.

腐竹白果薏米

最近好像很容易吃到令人火大的东西。

（又是）很想吃腐竹白果薏米，就跑到liang seah street的阿秋甜品去。那算是很不错的糖水铺了。因为在公司附近，偶尔会去吃。

腐竹白果薏米来了，跟左图一样。

......我以为我点的是杨枝甘露。不是应该奶白色，或清清的但有很多腐竹碎的吗？

好啦，是我山芭佬，人家白果很多，所以黄黄的，不可以咩。我第一口下去，只尝到糖的甜味，一点薏米的味道都没有。就算我不以貌取人，这..这，这叫人怎么相信它就是腐竹白果薏米呢？真是让人哑口无言。

那把火就上来了，把白果和薏米吃完（那个很难弄错），那碗“糖水”我原封不动留下来，到对面去吃他对手的腐竹白果薏米。

<记得食>的腐竹白果薏米来了，跟右图一样。

天啊，有很难咩。这才是腐竹白果薏米嘛。

沽名钓誉福南荣记

昨天好想吃怡保鸡丝河粉，听说福南荣记卖怡保河粉比我吃怡保河粉还久，就去试试看。

我吃怡保河粉快三十年，还没见过那种怡保鸡丝河粉。招牌上的河粉，我一个都不认识。好好的怡保河粉，从1955年搞到现在，一撇席。当然，餐牌上写明了IPOH HO FUN the Singapore way，还加上了自制的酱。

看到这里我就气，用了自己独创的酱，换了汤，加了不同的配料，你就叫荣记河粉好了，不要再怡保什么的。怡保没有人吃干捞鸡丝河粉，而且只用白鸡，不用油鸡，只用虾壳熬过的汤头，也不跟冬菇豆腐一起吃。

联合晚报　Review　　写 “...入口即化的怡保河粉，满足味蕾的一大享受。” 写的人没吃过怡保的怡保河粉，随随便便就觉得那是传说中的入口即化，真是开玩笑。荣记河粉（我不会再叫怡保）比新加坡其他地方的河粉幼，有怡保河粉的样子，可是没有怡保河粉的滑嫩。当然这是各有所爱，可能也比较适合这里的口味，但请不要再沾怡保鸡丝河粉的光。

因为荣记河粉不是怡保鸡丝河粉。

这是怡保人我讲的。

岁月

当我们无法再熬夜到三点的时候。
当我们不再爱喝汽水的时候。
当我们的额头越来越光亮的时候。
当我们的法令纹越来越明显的时候。
当我们更努力才能维持腹肌的时候。
当我们的腰部久坐会痛的时候。
当我们的背肩站久会酸的时候。
当我们的伤口愈合缓慢的时候。
当我们打篮球转身甩不掉防守的时候。
当我们百米冲刺慢五米的时候。

那代表岁月悄悄地追上来了。

Dhaka 3

If I were to describe Dhaka, the title of incredible should not belongs to India.

This is the road in front of my hotel...yes, these were those hon and siren.



If you think Bangkok has bad traffic, at least they congested only with vehicles. Here, can you see the people walking in between fast moving car? They can judge the space and time better than anyone!!



It happened all day long, including night. As Dhaka is facing power shortage since July, most of the street were not light up. The people are invisible at night.

I didn't see any accident in 2 days. Amazing.

The amazement should extend to the public bus, which stop in the middle of the road (you see why the traffic is bad?) to drop the passenger when it is full, to prevent more passenger on board. but nothing can stop them. They chase, run, catch, trying to hold any part of the bus with their life. A moving bus cannot change their determination to board.

I saw one like a "trail" of people besides / behind a moving bus after that was already 50m away from the bus stop. That fellow was dragged on the road with his legs down, then the bus slowing down, so he was back with his foot again, eventually he jumped on it and got the ride.



There were also a lot of beggars knocking on the window asking for money. And many of them were naked or half naked, even the normal road crosser, many wear only sarung (I bet without underwear). I saw one guy scratching his buddy and witness the flash of genius. Yes. In the middle of a cross road.

I stay in a nice room, I eat in a nice restaurant, I complaint the crowded MRT and Bugis village. I will think of Dhaka the next time I complaint, for awhile, but maybe not too much. I empathize them but will not feel blessed myself just because I have a better life than them.

We live in a different world.

Dhaka 2

It is probably my own problem because living in Dhaka city alone is very stress.

The stress originated from too many nothing-better-to-do people staring at you. And too many people doing too little things or even nothing gets done.

We left the hotel at 11am, and back in hotel for dinner at 630pm. There were bloody >6 hours and actually the most productive period was that one hour in 2-3pm. We spent most of our time talking, stuck in the traffic and even more waiting for something (to happen). We even didn't have time for lunch. (?!?!)

Even during that hour when I am fully focus on my job, at least 5 people were surrounding me in that room, and a lot of people moving in and out that room. For those staying, they were either blocking my way while chit chatting, or they were not blocking my way chit chatting.

For those neither, they were blocking my way when they stared at me doing the job. They will stick out their bloody head want to see it (and block my view), or they will stick out their bloody hand to touch it (and mess up my calibration). They certainly placed their curiosity higher priority than for me to get the job done.

The best part was, I asked for a scissors they gave me a plier; I asked for a pen knife they gave me a used surgery blade without handle (I dunno what the blade cut before!! heart? brain? HIV tissue? Hep B+ liver?). And they all stared at me using 2 fingers holding the 1 inch surgery blade to cut open the tape seal on the boxes.

Now is 930pm local time, the hon and siren are simply unbearable.

I miss home already.

Dhaka

I am having a Bangladeshi-flavor moon cake festival in Dhaka.

Checked in the hotel at around 1230am last night. I can't sleep well because the siren and hon from the road started waking me up at 630am. Non-stop since, so I decided to wake up around 8am, damn it.

The expressway and city area is probably the main connection to all area around Dhaka. It was an expressway shared by trucks, city buses, cars, green mini-tutu-bike (don't know what it called) and 3-wheels-bicycle carrying many kilograms of kuli-bao.



Unlike Pakistan, here got no good mango. juice. or dessert. Not sure what to expect from everyday meal, I have mango-meal 3 times a day in Pakistan and Manila. Don't know any local signature fruit or food so far, except the "fried rice" that was just plain rice that were fried. Not very imaginative.

Have not had any real impression to Dhaka yet but it got a bad start because I have to spent my mid-autumn here. I read their newspaper and found this "funny" editorial column talking about the anthrax threat in Bangladesh that spread via the beef. The author said something along this line:

"...when the ministry suggest the people microwave-cook all the beef for meal probably don't know most of his people in rural area cannot afford the microwave....When you got headache, chop your head off so you don't have headache."

Bangkok

When I am still over-clocking my brain to sort out several personal matters, I have duty in Bangkok for 3 days.

At least the hotel view temporarily make me relax. The day and night view from 24th floor of Lebua Hotel at State Tower.





For an equivalent room-type, it is 1/3 the price compared to Shangri-La. I bet Shangri-La don't even include your breakfast and internet in their package. Ban Shangri-La.

Dear Bangkok is a damn busy place with incredible traffic. It is plain tough to drive there. The traffic drama reached its peak on my way to Airport, where the expressway was jammed like city central. Police on duty during off peak hour at 3pm to control the expressway traffic. It took me 90 minutes to go Airport for a 30 minutes journey. Sweat.

I walked along the street to find cheap thai massage, unfortunately, there is no 150 baht massage if Shangri-La is nearby, so sorry. I settled for a 300 baht one for 60minutes, and quickly back in hotel to clear my emails so that it doesn't drown me on Monday next week.

The truth

The truth is, disappointing.

So, plan B now.

The week of truth

KS thinks he is more hardworking than me in blogging. So he came all the way from KL to give me a push here.

The blog has not been updated for weeks, because I write only when I feel like it. So it means I have not been in the mood for a while.

I am a little bit distracted by the heavy traveling (again), and also not in my right mind to blog anything although September 2010 is special to me.

It is my last birthday month in 20s, and the blog 6th anniversary. But that is not all about it yet. I am actually waiting for the application result for my post graduate study, and the final result will be out next week. So the truth will be reveal in the next 5 days.

Last week, I hit the first stumble in application, but a strong recommendation follows. Not sure how much that counts, so all I can do is to believe I deserved it.

It is not difficult to explain the decision going back to school, but it requires understanding for anyone listening to accept it. We spare the reasons for another day, but the bottom line is, I will try my best to fight for it, but not at all cost.

There is only one route at the moment. And frankly, I don't even think of working towards my plan B right now.

研究生

周星星同学说他是个研究生。

那研究生到底是怎么回事？

嗯，假设这个圆圈代表人类世界全部的知识。



小学毕业后，我们对世界有一点点的了解。



高中毕业后，认识多了一点，但不是太多。



大学毕业后，在既有的知识上，再加一点点。然后，我们术业有专攻。



硕士班教育让我们的专长有所延伸。也延深。



阅读最新科学报告让我们接触世界人类知识的尖端，累积最新的知识。



终于我们到达了一个瓶颈，那是世界知识的末端，没得再前进了。

于是，热身完毕，博士班，嗯，现在才开始。



全副精神专注在一个点上面。那个点，就是你的博士论文。



锲而不舍，一直往边缘推进。几年后，你突破了瓶颈。



现在大家终于都可以叫你博士了。那个Ph.D.。



当然，你看世界的眼光与对世界的看法，和旁人已经不一样。它是那么地丰满。



全人类的世界，因为你酱的研究生的努力，而有了莫大改变。

像什么那么大。

酱大。



大家继续努力。

那是我（有可能）将要做的事。

Life after Pakistan

Karachi showed early sign of restoring on Thursday late evening, and by Friday it was almost back to normal as the street were again filled with extremely high number of people/vehicles, and all gas station were resumed. Plus, all of them were on their way to get the petrol as well as to pray - it's Friday.

My flight was 1125pm on Friday but by 925pm I was still in the hospital that was 15min away from hotel; and hotel was 5min drive from Airport. We thought that was OK because there were not many vehicles on the street the past 2 days, until we were trapped in the traffic.



We finally reached hotel at 10pm. Damn first my card was expired because it was a late check out; second my room handle koyak so I need (to wait for) them to use manual key to open my door; third the reception staff took 10 mins to done my check out after I came down (so they didn't do anything when I was stuck with the koyak door!!). It was 1030pm already.

On the route to airport, the queue of the cars was damn long for security check as car without flight passenger were prohibited to enter. Again it happened at the departure hall entrance. It was 11pm by the time we were cleared. The Thai Airway check in counter showed the boarding time was 2245.

I am sure we were riding a lot on luck. Not sure how much left in my pocket now.

To make a combo x 2 turbo, the new death continued and the flood (again) strike right after I left.

I am now in Pakistan

I did not know what is Darurat, but now I know.

I've read several number of death from a statistical point of view, 37, 48, 56 or 61...depending where and when I heard the news. Same to the number of casualty...150, or 300 (that's a big difference).

I will be eager to be on the front line if I were a journalist.

Too bad I'm not. So I am shouting when can I go home in my heart.







There is ONE good news for the Pakistan financial center in Karachi.



Unfortunately it doesn't concern me.

Paul-da-Octopus

The revenge.

This is .....quite funny. HAHA.

Just the way it is

So, I am going to Pakistan again.

For god sake, as a self-declared multinational company, the risk going to a country like this should be explained and covered.

No it doesn't. The preparation for it is nothing more than other relatively ......predictable countries like South East Asia, Hong Kong or Taiwan.

It is easy to argue who who and who also went there and came back safe and sound. I feel the argument is just convenient and irresponsible, because based on the frequency of incidents in Pakistan, it is riding a lot on luck.

I remember once I told someone.

The value of a worker at the construction site is less than a managerial executive working in office, because the risk and chance of accident for construction workers is very much higher than the manager. However, the insurance that are available that safe guard the construction worker is very much less than the manager.

There the value is.

It is "unfair" but this is just the way it is.

The Act of God designation on all insurance policies... means roughly that you cannot be insured for the accidents that are most likely to happen to you. If your ox kicks a hole in your neighbour's Maserati, however, indemnity is instantaneous.

......How likely you own an ox (not a BMW), while your neighbour own a Maserati (not a chicken), and you guys are still neighbour, and your ox kicks a hole in his car?

So based on "the theory of the worker and the manager", now you know I am the lowest life-form in the company hierarchy.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's my passport photo.

卧薪尝胆

我重新看了一遍卧薪尝胆。

这成语卧薪尝胆就是讲述越王勾践战败，被吴王夫差（chai）俘虏，忍辱偷生为吴国奴，回到越国后不敢忘了耻辱，发奋图强灭了吴国。

里面的主角当然是勾践（陈道明），他的夫人叫雅鱼（左小青），史实里应该没有雅鱼这个人物，可是，我很喜欢她。

戏里，雅鱼不算是一个特别美丽的角色，也比不上西施（安以轩）。她是一个端庄贤淑，知书达理，宠辱不惊，深明大义的皇后，偏偏命运坎坷。虽母仪天下，好日子没多，苦日子没少。至于如何端庄，如何达理，如何不惊等等，我就不详述，等你自己去看好了。

我只是在想，以一个女人能以那样的“深明大义”而置国家于一己之上，说很钦佩只是一个承受不了的轻。雅鱼的个性与行为，很符合当代的价值观吧。越国人民大概会把她当楷模，也是越国人的骄傲。她的坚强，和现在所谓的女权运动是很不一样的。我没看大长今，可是我觉得她们坚强的味道有点像。

对一个男人来说，雅鱼是很难得的；作为一个女人，雅鱼并不让人羡慕。

不是所有的女人都能那样看待自己内心的渴望，所谓深明大义，其实就是做了应该做，却不一定想做的事；可现代大家都很注重自我的感觉，比自我更大的事情嘛，那么多人，你做莫偏偏找我。

这没什么不对，每个时代，甚至每个人的价值观不同。以前的人较有奉献精神，甚至牺牲。现在看来，奉献和牺牲的必要没有那么多。这种精神就算不发生在自己身上，偶尔出现了，有人觉得难能可贵的同时，也会有另一群人觉得那么老套，有去到要牺牲的地步吗?

老实说，我还真不知道。

不过，我那么喜欢雅鱼，当时我一定是越国人。

再见

说再见有很多种方式。

象是有点酷的挥一挥手，一句话不说转身离开；或者是轻轻拥抱一下，加脸颊贴脸颊，有点欧美式的；或者在工作上“合作愉快”式的，握手说再见。

那些都做得到，只是风俗或习惯的不同，我们不一定有机会用到罢了。原因是，上面那些告别式，不管会不会真的再见，其实都预留了还会见面的空间。所以，那些再见，容易“做得到”。

至于大家都觉得这是最后一次见面的告别，或大概不容易再见的，就不是所有人都做得到了。

比如两个人的分手；或医院里最后一面；或现在这里没有，电影里有的：应召去战场或执行一些送死任务，要跟家人爱人说再见。

现在通讯那么发达，那么多面簿或推特，做那种告别的机会其实不多，大家疏于练习，更难做到。

那天，我什么都没说，千里迢迢，特地吃了一餐再见饭。

是一顿鸭饭。

心结

有一种那样的心结。

你解决不了，避免不了，又化解不了。

最后，你只好跟那个结比长命。

你心念很强的时候，那个结的力就很弱。你会有一个“我比它长命的日子靠近了“的错觉。

当你因其他事有点脆弱时，那个结会突然乘机反噬，把你击得崩溃。

那个当下，你竟然显得那么不堪一击。

那样的心结。

你有没有?

等待

我们一生人都在不停地等待。

七岁以前，我们等喝奶，等睡觉，等洗澡，等上学。

十三岁以前，我们等巴士，等放学，等漫画周刊，等礼拜七点半的ninja turtle。

十七岁以前，我们等考试，等成绩，等电话，等女孩子。

二十三岁以前，我们等进大学，等背包旅行，等录取通知，等女朋友。

二十九岁以前，我们等机会，等花红，等升职，等结婚。

三十七岁以前，我们等股票升，等房建好，等装修工人来，等孩子长大。

四十三岁以前，我们等孩子放学。

五十三岁以前，我们等孩子结婚。

六十七岁以前，我们等媳妇怀孕。

七十三岁以前，我们等孙子长大。

到了八十九岁，我们等着上西天。

人生就是由等待堆积而成的。

What the hell

The thing we learn from history is we don't learn from history.

It is not the first time I feel I come out short for the way corporate world works.

It was a struggle without a medical director to support the market in Asia Pacific. A need for a MD is immediate. It took 12 months to recruit our MD.

Then they bloody sacked my MD after he stay in the office for 20 months.

The reason is the market does not justify the need for a MD here (huh?), and will not recruit another MD for the next 5 to 10 years.

The (unofficial) reasons are plenty.

I was unofficially (naturally) doing job as an MD, taking a low rank executive salary package, giving out name card represent the lowest life form in the office but go out live up to the expectation as an MD.

They think this is fine, because an MD like me is dirt cheap.

8 months after I-am-the-MD, it was a struggle without a medical director to support the market in Asia Pacific. A need for a MD is immediate.

So, they want to recruit an MD now.

毕业歌

我今早翻东西，翻出了一张十年前的草稿。

那是我的毕业歌。原来我毕业十年了。

那时，学生讲话很没重量的，老师大完。可是我们生来就是要捣乱，乳名都叫化骨龙。那个老师不知道为什么很不喜欢电子吉他的声音，又不喜欢有base。好像一定要唱到象小虎队红蜻蜓那样才可以在校园里唱，那些什么band都是被banned的。

没有那些，我们不能够umzi-umzi心里很狗不爽。不过还是乖乖作了一首老师看了听了一定pass的。


年少轻狂与荒唐 （这个故事较梦想）
一心想飞到他乡 （虽曾经无助彷徨）
容我平静地遗忘曾有过的悲伤 （心中坚持的所有让我们不断成长）
即将离开的朋友 （忘掉昔日的沮丧）
梦想等待你们 （带着欢笑飞扬）
勇敢实现一个一个愿望 （边走边唱那歌声多嘹亮）

昨日回忆明天希望
今后我们不再迷茫
朋友老师同伴
这些年来共闯
写下的故事荡气回肠

我的梦想在远方
由你陪伴我愿闯
路上风吹雨打依然倔强
也许风很强 （也许很孤单）
也许前途茫茫 （也许路上苍凉）
明天星光依旧灿烂

现在永远都一样



一看就知道是那种为赋新词强说愁的行货，加上木吉他（而已）的声音，好像在唱清明时节雨纷纷，路上新人换旧人。

我们呈上这首歌，老师赞不绝口，一下子就通过，可以全体练习了。我们当然练习，还非常努力，花几倍的时间，练另外一首歌。那时在nalanda读书的，就会有额外时间练习，就乘休息拼命唱k练，练这首（有umzi-umzi的）：


匆匆光阴飞逝不断 毕业生又再共聚一堂
欢乐笑声能驱走悲伤 泪 不该往下淌

炙热的心又燃起火光 想要开拓自己的梦想
重重阻碍使我不能顺利的闯

不必忧伤只要很努力地干
飞越前方我们必须有自信在胸膛

我们是千禧的毕业生 我们的心胸有同样的兴奋
我们要突破自己展现实力 拥抱缤纷精彩人生

我们是千禧的毕业生 我们的前方是锦绣的前程
只要肯克服自己 有坚毅的心 冲上人生的高峰

无悔我青春


当然看歌词看不出曲的气势，不过，如果前一首是辛晓琪的味道那种拍子，那么这首歌就是beyond海阔天空的。基本上，这首歌是呐喊型的。

毕业典礼那天，我们都唱了前面那首......来开喉warm up。老师看见台上有吉他和bass amplifier x 2 的时候，心里大概有数了。

是的，老师。那是我们的毕业典礼，所以我们要umzi-umzi。

Traveler

I am, by theory, a traveler of the world, via the eyes of books. I read a lot since I was a kid, and I perceived it as I've been there myself. It hardly occurs to me that I am a mere second hand reader through the eyes of other people in practical until I really have the chance to travel for business.

Looking back myself, despite a "frequent traveler" back and forth between Singapore and Ipoh after my university days, the only time now I considered myself traveling was when I went to Hong Kong / China when I was 15. And the other time when I flied on Air Asia to Sabah for graduation trip.

That was effectively a sum of of my traveling history by age of 27. Sure I've been in places like Redang and Cameron and what not, but none of them have me feeling the sense of exposure owe to traveling itself. Like, it is just another beach, or another highland.

Maybe I am too young then.

I was checking my account, the record standing at about 250,000 km, considering this represent returning distance, I have traveled 120,000km to date. I am doing this because I am calculating my left over mileage available for free ticket claim Singapore Airline has owe me. And the reason i am calculating is because I am soon stop flying, to take a rest on (frequent) traveling, perhaps for the next 4-5 years.

120,000km is a milestone, that I've travel so much. And it is always eventful, from the snow, cyclone, local food, local strange practice, "special" hospitality, missing train, exotic experience, airport security grill, all kind of air-stewardess and all kind of unexpected incidents.

Maybe it is time for me to go back on the books, before I travel again.

And travel more than 120,000km.